Cedar Breaks National Monument
Things To Do
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Backcountry Hiking
For advanced hikers with wayfinding and backcountry experience, Cedar Breaks offers a hike on par with Zion's strenuous Subway trail. The Rattlesnake Creek trail in the Ashdown Gorge Wilderness is a two to three-day hike just outside the park boundary that crosses mostly designated wilderness in the Dixie National Forest and drops into the amphitheater below the canyon rim.
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Camping
Point Supreme is Cedar Breaks’ onsite campground. It’s beautiful all year long, but during the summer, it’s surrounded by meadows of wildflowers. 25 campsites can accommodate tents and RVs.. Camping is available from mid-June to mid-September, and opening and closing dates may vary depending on the weather. Seasonal flush toilets, showers and potable water are available. There is a nightly camping fee, and standard campsites accommodate up to eight people.
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Hiking
The Alpine Pond Trail offers amphitheater views via a two-mile loop at 10,000 feet elevation. Spot marmots sunbathing on the pond’s peaceful shores, then discover the trail’s bristlecone pines, some of the oldest living organisms on Earth. Some pines here have been dated at more than 1,500 years old. The picturesque vistas of Chessmen Ridge are the apex of the Alpine Pond Trail. Return to the Alpine Pond Trailhead via the upper loop, walking through meadows of wildflowers. Hiking to the Spectra and Rampart Points takes you along the amphitheater’s rim. Beginning with the scent of wildflowers, make your way to Spectra Point (1 mile). From here, get a closer look at the amazing geology. Continuing to Rampart Point (2 miles, one-way), follow an alpine stream through a beautiful forest of grand bristlecone pines with elegantly twisted bodies.
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Stargazing
Cedar Breaks National Monument offers first-class stargazing, thanks to its high altitude and distance from metro light pollution. As an internationally certified Dark Sky Park, rangers host stargazing programs throughout the summer.
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Winter Activities
During the winter, Cedar Breaks is a premier cross-country skiing and snowmobiling destination with access from Brian Head Ski Resort. Also, check the park calendar for dark sky parties. When temperatures and snow conditions permit, you can visit the winter day-use yurt/ranger station, staffed on weekends by volunteers, that offers free hot chocolate to warm you on your snowy adventures.
Brian Head Lodge
Photo: Vance Fox
Where To Stay
The Hilton Vacation Club Cedar Breaks Brian Head (formerly Cedar Breaks Lodge) offers stunning mountain views. It is only four miles from Cedar Breaks National Monument and a half mile from Brian Head Resort’s world-class slopes. Amenities include fireplaces, full kitchens, an on-site dinner restaurant, an indoor heated pool, a steam room and a sauna. At Brian Head Resort, you can also take advantage of the Brian Head Lodge, with excellent access to the ski slopes or mountain bike trails. If you want to stay in a small town with big-city amenities, Cedar City offers a range of lodging options, from vacation rentals and hotels to charming bed and breakfasts. Explore more Cedar City lodging.
Nearby Scenic Byways
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Cedar Breaks Scenic Byway
Cedar Breaks Scenic Byway (S.R. 148) takes you from the Markagunt High Plateau Scenic Byway (S.R. 14) to the visitor center of Cedar Breaks National Monument. Several easy and moderate hikes allow you to view the huge natural amphitheater, which is more than 2,000 feet deep and three miles from rim to rim. Cedar Breaks National Monument is internationally recognized for its clear dark night skies, as the park offers visitors the chance to see a vast array of stars and galaxies. Cedar Breaks National Monument also hosts an annual festival that includes workshops and events in it’s high-altitude and colorful meadows. If time permits, travel southeast onto the Markaguant High Plateau Scenic Byway which will connect you with Navajo Lake.
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Markagunt High Plateau Scenic Byway
The Markagunt High Plateau Scenic Byway follows S.R.14, with stunning views of Dixie National Forest between Cedar City and Long Valley Junction. Traveling onto the Markagunt High Plateau Scenic Byway will connect you with Navajo Lake. This 3.5-mile-long lake is drained by sinkholes where water from inlets dramatically disappears into the ground. From Markaguant High Plateau Scenic Byway you can also enjoy the Mammoth Cave (a lava tube), Strawberry Point, Zion Overlook and a panoramic view of Kolob Terrace.
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Utah’s Patchwork Parkway National Scenic Byway
Utah’s Patchwork Parkway National Scenic Byway (S.R. 143) travels from Parowan to Panguitch with a side trip to Cedar Breaks National Monument on S.R. 148. Experience diverse colors, cultures and climates as you climb and descend the byway through the Dixie National Forest. During a winter snowstorm in 1864, Mormon pioneers painstakingly traversed this unforgettable mountain road by throwing down handmade patchwork quilts onto the snow, stepping on them gingerly to avoid sinking. Patchwork Parkway passes Brian Head Resort down the road on S.R. 143. Stop at the interpretive sites to learn more about the area's Mormon pioneer heritage.
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Kolob Fingers Road Scenic Byway
While it is a short byway, Kolob Fingers Road packs in a lot of scenery. Take Exit 40 from Interstate 15 on the northwest side of Zion National Park and proceed up the distinctive red asphalt switchbacks among the park’s towering cliffs. While the view at the end is spectacular, there are also options to get out and hike along the byway. If you find yourself wanting to stretch your legs, consider hiking the La Verkin Creek Trail, the Taylor Creek Trail or the Timber Creek Overlook Trail.
Visitor Center Parking and Directions
Traveling South on I-15: Take exit 78 to Parowan. Travel south on Main Street for 1.3 miles. Turn left onto E. Center Street. Travel 0.3 Miles. Turn right onto Utah Highway 143 East. Continue approximately 15 miles to Cedar Breaks National Monument.
Traveling North on I-15: Take exit 57 to Cedar City. Travel north on Main Street for 2.2 miles. Turn right onto E Center Street/Utah Highway 14. Continue east on Utah Highway 14 for approximately 18 miles. Turn left onto Utah Highway 148 and continue 4 miles to Cedar Breaks National Monument.
What's Nearby
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Brian Head Resort
Surrounded by contrasting evergreen spruce and aspen, Brian Head Resort boasts the highest base among Utah's resorts, and is the only ski and snowboard resort to showcase snow-dusted red rock hoodoos from the nearby Cedar Breaks National Monument.
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Bryce Canyon National Park
An alpine forest with as many red rock hoodoos as trees. At dawn and dusk, mule deer graze the forested plateau along the road into Bryce Canyon.
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Cedar City
Cedar City, Utah offers plenty of great experiences thanks to nearby ski resorts, a national forest, great national parks and a superb arts scene.
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Dixie National Forest
This forest stretches for 170 miles across southern Utah. Visitors can experience its brilliant red spires and cliffs by car or by hiking one of the nature trails in the canyon.
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Springdale
As the gateway to Zion National Park and nestled along the North Fork of the Virgin River, Springdale is an ideal place to get outfitted for adventure in Zion and numerous other parks, monuments, and recreation areas of the western Colorado Plateau and the desert southwest.
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Zion National Park
Whether you are trying to catch your breath while climbing the trail to Angel's Landing or watching the shadows constantly change the mood of the Court of the Patriarchs, Zion National Park is always ready to quench your appetite for outdoor wonder.
